Forest Park Golf Club offers boost for members

BUY ONE get two free. It sounds like it could be a catchphrase from a superstore’s big sale but this is what members of Forest Park Golf Club will be getting when they sign up for another year.

The Stockton-on-the-Forest outfit is offering members full playing rights at Cottingham GC and Skidby Lakes in East Yorkshire alongside their own 27-hole complex.

Chiefs at Forest Park believe giving their members an option of clubs will help to solidify their membership in a difficult economic climate.

They have not ruled out the option of linking up with more clubs in the future too – noting the success of the De Vere and Marriott chains that offer their members the chance to play all of their courses all over the country.

Forest Park have followed Sandburn Hall, in Flaxton, which last year announced a tie-up with Cookridge Hall in Leeds.

But they have taken it literally a step further by adding another club to the roster.

“It’s a very difficult world that we live in with regards to golf clubs and golf club membership,” said Forest Park club professional Mark Winterburn.

“We need to give our members more value for their money and we feel that we have signed up with two other courses that offer high standards. There are great benefits for our members and those of Cottingham and Skidby Lakes.

“It’s three courses for the price of one and it can only be a good thing for all of us.”

Members will be eligible to play in club competitions at all three courses and Winterburn added that he felt the variety of being able to compete at a trio of different courses would prove very popular.

“When it is very easy for people to go and play relatively inexpensively through two-for-one vouchers and such, this scheme is adding value to the cost of memberships,” he added.

“This sort of thing can only be the future. More and more golf clubs will sign up to the same kind of deal. We would like to involve other clubs and increase our network. We might be linked with five by this time next year.”